Winter Fireflies
by Zanke Kiamane
Summary: Not every story in the pokemon world can be joyous ones filled with young trainers setting of into the world making a name for themselves and having the time of their lives. No some paths are thrust upon people forcing them to step up to the plate and do what needs to be done for the sake of happier times. This is the story of one boy clinging to memories, both good and bad.


This is the part of our story where the music starts and one of the many professors fades in to tell you about a world beyond your wildest imaginations. A place inhabited by powerful creatures known as pokemon. They would tell you that some people raise pokemon as pets, and others raise them for battling. Then after recording our name and perhaps the name of our rival they would set us off on an adventure into the fascinating world of pocket monsters...But this is not your story nor is it mine. No, this story starts a lot harsher than that. It begins in a little town known as Mahogany in the Johto region, at a bedside where a cold wind is about to pass from the world and usher in a new age for the quaint and frigid town...perhaps for the entire Johto Pokemon League as well.

_Beep_. _Beep_. _Beep_. The sound was maddening. _Beep_. _Beep_. _Beep. _

"Why me...?" the boy whispered under his breath, "of all the people in the world why do I have to be put through this shit?". He reached forward and gripped a withered pale hand laying on the bed,

"Grandpa...why do you have to go? I can't handle this on my own". Silence took the room save for the constant sound of the machine behind the bed reading off each beat of the dying man's heart. The quiet went on for some time then suddenly a frail voice broke it

"Fritz...my grandson...where are you boy?" Fritz patted his grandfather's hand and stood up leaning over the bed, he answered him with a raised volume in order for him to be heard

"I'm here grandpa, what is it?". The white haired man turned his head painfully slow to look at the boy by his death bed and spoke in a weak tone

"boy...i have something very important to ask you...". Fritz nodded his acknowledgement allowing his elder to continue. "Fritz, you are the only person i can trust this task to..." he reached under the sheets and produced a laminated card; weakly raising it to the boy, who was eying it curiously. Fritz took a hold of the card and looked back at his grandfather who nodded his head,

"read what is written on it boy...". Fritz, with a concerned face, looked at the card in his hand, seeing a very familiar shape. A sort of snowflake encased in a crystal, he then noticed the text and began to read it aloud as his grandfather had instructed,

"By the power of the official Johto region, the owner of this card is the rightful and legal leader of the Mahogany town gym and has the obligation to hand out the official league badge pictured here called the Glacier badge to those who can defeat them in a pokemon battle and is in charge of the care and operation of all the facilities that the gym has to offer belonging to said owner." Once Fritz stopped reading he re-read it in his head, and the harsh reality smacking him in the face, and he stared at his grandfather Pryce - the current gym leader of his home town of Mahogany. Fritz in a panicked voice nearly shouting

"but grandpa! I can't be a gym leader, I haven't ever been good at training pokemon or battling, like, at all and I'm afraid at the rate I'm going I never will! How in the world am i suppose to run a gym!?" Pryce chuckled at the boy's reaction and spoke in an almost caring voice compared to his normal cold and demanding tone.

"Fritz, you have to. I have no others who can or will take my place and we can't let the gym die...it's served the league for many years. I know you don't have much confidence in your abilities but trust me...you have far more potential then i ever had in my youth, I've seen your passion for pokemon, the love you have for raising them. You must replace me...there is no other choice." Fritz sat back in his chair and reached forward, gripping his grandfather's hand again.

"Ok grandpa...I'll try for you". Pryce let out a long sigh.

"It's finished then. Promise me one other thing, boy...bury me beside Mamoswine. He was with me since the beginning and I want him to be with me in the end." Fritz nodded and replied,

"Sure thing grandpa...I promise." The activity between the two ceased as a tear drop landed on the card in the teen boy's hand and finally the sound of the beeps began to quicken till..._Beeeeeeeeeeep_...then silence completely _filled_ the room.


End file.
